As California continues to resist President Donald Trump’s recent executive order prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports, the effects of this decision will be evident on a basketball court this week. An upcoming high school girls’ basketball playoff game will feature an openly transgender athlete representing San Francisco Waldorf against Cornerstone Christian on Saturday. This same athlete previously played for Waldorf’s girls’ volleyball team last fall, leading Stone Ridge Christian to forfeit a playoff match on November 16. However, Cornerstone Christian plans to proceed with the game against the transgender athlete. “As long as the parents are supportive of playing the game, we will honor the girls’ hard work this season and compete,” stated Cornerstone Christian athletic director Madison Alexander. This decision was made following a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is currently under investigation by the Department of Education (DOE) and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for its noncompliance with the president’s executive order, as it continues to direct schools to permit transgender athletes to compete as women. Candice Jackson, the DOE’s deputy general counsel, informed that the department will be observing the state’s girls’ basketball playoffs during its investigation. “CIF establishes the guidelines for schools participating in these playoffs, and they have an obligation as recipients of federal funds to adhere to Title IX. The OCR’s investigation into CIF is ongoing, as it appears CIF continues to disregard Title IX,” Jackson remarked.
The CIF has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the upcoming playoff game. Previously, the CIF stated that it would continue to adhere to state legislation concerning transgender athletes, which has been in place since 2014. “The CIF provides students with opportunities to belong, connect, and compete in educational experiences in accordance with California law, which allows students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams, consistent with their gender identity, regardless of the gender listed in their records,” the statement indicated.
A law known as AB 1266 has been effective since 2014, granting California students at both scholastic and collegiate levels the right to “participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed in the pupil’s records.” Many residents in California have expressed their opposition and threatened legal action regarding this issue.
